More (bits of) Canon from The Witch War Histories
More (bits of) Canon from The Witch War Histories
Okay, Part Two. After the cut is (mostly) a series of brief character sketches illustrating who people are (as they keep popping up in my TTM posts, and I seem intent on confusing folks over there). I promise that's not my intent. {g} I have attempted to cover all three novels in this post, primary and rather-frequently-mentioned secondary characters. I may amend this list, but it won't be anytime soon.
Also, I will most likely add a post eventually to cover the fourth book, an ancillary novel featuring Declan O'Leary. While not specifically a sequel to the first three, it does have some overlap, but it is also developing its own canon as well and deserves a separate post. Again, not anytime soon, but it will have to happen as I suspect Declan to rear his gorgeous head this week.
If I have grossly under- or overstated things in these two posts, please feel free to let me know. My hope was to give just enough background to stem most of the confusion while not spoiling absolutely the entire three story arcs.
Stephanie
Dramatis Personae
Following is a list of primary and (rather important) secondary characters appearing in The Histories. This list is by no means exhaustive, and the information provided for each person is not meant to convey every fact of importance related to that person (i.e., I've tried to keep spoiler material to a minimum and have left out characters and groups entirely if necessary for that end). At the end of each character's entry is a parenthetical notation indicating in which book(s) the character appears (TC=Triplex Coniunctio, SA=Seraphim Applorant, IR=Invocatus Rex).
Before getting to the characters themselves, let me take a moment to fully define how magic is handled within The Histories:
The Nature of Magic
Magic, as presented in The Witch War Histories, is a part of nature. It exists without the volition of those who are born to it but also makes room for the new age concept of the Wiccan lifestyle. Therefore, although the primary characters are all witches with hereditary magic, there are also examples of the craft being practiced by persons not born into magic.
In terms of the primary magic in the story, the hereditary magic, people are born into magic. It simply is a part of them, but it is not a part of everyone. For the purposes of the story, "born into magic" means one is a descendant of one of the original members of the Coven of Light or the Dark Coven. Following that logic, all hereditary witches in The Witch War Histories are descended from either Tarran or Dryw, from the 6th century AD. This is not to imply there were no hereditary witches before those two, for certainly theirs must have come from somewhere (their mother Aisling most likely), but for the story, those earlier ancestors are not terribly relevant.
The practice of magic for these hereditary witches likely looks very modern. That is because the principles remain the same. The use of herbs, candles, etc. is evident in the characters' attempts to augment their spellwork and please their deities, but those are hardly required. By the time young Sylvie comes along, indeed, magic looks quite different.
Aisling (the First): Caedmon's wife and mother to Sylvie (the First) and twins Tarran and Dryw. Gifted with a slight version of 'the sight,' Aisling's confusing visions often leave her with vague and uneasy premonitions but no real insight as to what may or may not happen in the future. She is both awed by and fearful of her daughter's strange powers. (IR) Aisling (the Second): A young Irish woman who wanders incoherent into Riamon's yard during Sylvie Peyton Solon's explorations. A woman gifted with the powers of an empath but without knowledge of her power or how to control its effects, Aisling is suffering from bearing the pain of Sylvie's ancestors. Thus born accidentally into the lives of the Peyton-Solons, Aisling becomes integral to the shaping of their plans and the leading of their lives… especially the life of Declan O'Leary who takes one look at the lovely lass and falls hard. But is Aisling all she appears to be? Thalia doesn't think so. (IR) Ambrus Peyton: Thalia's lover and Etienne's father, Ambrus is not a witch. What he happens to be is Thalia's mainstay. Best friends from the cradle, they discover a deep and unabating passion in early adulthood that doesn't let up… not when Ambrus leaves England for America and university (prompting Thalia to follow him), not when Thalia leaves England for France and the hope of safety for their unborn son (prompting extreme action from Ambrus). If Thalia is the family's glue, Ambrus is rack and pinion. (TC, SA, IR) Ariadne Solon: Thalia's mother, a powerful witch and well-respected wise woman in their small community in the southeastern region of Devon, England. Widowed during her pregnancy with Thalia, it is Ariadne who helps guide both Thalia and Ambrus as they set about solving the mystery of the Triple Bond. (TC) Bertrand: Triplex Coniunctio's Big Bad. Leader of the Dark Coven, Bertrand is a witch determined The Healer will not be born, and he is prepared to stop at nothing to see his desires fulfilled. Cagey about his motives, his aim is nonetheless perfectly clear. If The Healer is born, magic will change forever, and that is unacceptable. From France to Britain to the very birthchamber of Sylvie herself, Bertrand's presence is a black cloud surrounding the Peyton-Solons, but can his petty malice stop destiny? (TC) Caedmon: Sixth-century druid and close advisor to a former prince in Britain. Caedmon is, among many other things, the keeper of a very special item of that prince's: his final battle sword. There is something magical, mystical about that sword, and he places it in keeping with others of his kind for safekeeping after the prince is killed in a terrible battle at the start of the darkest days of Britain. Upon returning to his own home in Wales, where he buries the prince quietly and keeps his effects, Caedmon marries Aisling, a new immigrant to his hometown, and settles into whatever passes for a 'normal' life. They have three children together, Sylvie (the First) and twins Tarran and Dryw. (IR) Cassandra Stone: American born witch who moves to Britain permanently in Sylvie's early childhood. After a dozen years or so of dating, she and Gavin marry. Several years later, they have a son Lucien. A minor character. (SA, IR) Darwin: Ostensibly Ambrus' secretary at the Policy Center where Ambrus works as an analyst, Darwin is there to support Ambrus in his daily occupation. However, there just might be more to Darwin than meets the eye. A minor character who propels the plot and provides occasional comic relief. (TC) Declan O'Leary: Member of the Church's army built to stand against Sylvie Peyton Solon and her witches in the war to end all magic. Chosen by Kincaid Blair as his right-hand man, Declan is loyal and uncompromising in that loyalty. As a young man with no allegiances save his loyalty to Kincaid, he couldn't have foreseen what his fidelity would cost him when he first offered it in trust. (SA, IR) Delia: Bertrand's sidekick, Delia is more devious and more ruthless than her leader, but as a witch, she lacks his broader vision. A thorn in Ambrus' side for years, Delia undermines his attempts to bring relative safety to his son's childhood and adolescence. Mocking Ambrus and Thalia in their efforts, it is Delia, rather than Bertrand, who ultimately brings the truth to light and offers true relief at last. (TC) Epidipnus: Member of the Dark Coven and lover of Marcus Antonius. Bore Marcus Antonius one daughter. Would her child be the line from which The Healer would be born? (TC) Etienne Solon: The Healer. Son of Thalia and Ambrus and father of Sylvie Peyton Solon, it is Etienne's birth that was foretold in the writings of Marcus Antonius centuries before. Through mystical means, Etienne travels far and wide, healing the souls of humanity's wounded each night while the rest of England sleeps. Despite this heavy burden, there are whispers of an even greater destiny in store for The Healer. (TC, SA, IR) Father Jonah: Seraphim Applorant and Invocatus Rex's Big Bad (although with different motivations in each). In Seraphim Applorant, it is Father Jonah's vision that moves a body of orphaned and Church-raised young men into a position to start a war against Sylvie Peyton Solon and her witches, a war the young men are led to believe will end Sylvie's magic on Earth forever. But will it? (SA, IR) Father Michael: Kincaid's mentor and trainer in England. Although not a substitute for Father Thomas, Father Michael assumes the roles held by Father Thomas in America when Kincaid moves abroad for the second stage in his life. Father Michael is vigilant and ruthless, utterly dedicated to the vision of Father Jonah. (SA, IR) Father Thomas: Kincaid's mentor and trainer in America. It is Father Thomas who first prepares Kincaid for his battle with evil in the form of Sylvie Peyton Solon, who first convinces Kincaid of the very rightness of the Church's position. Father Thomas has been for Kincaid the only true substitute for Kincaid's own dead father since the boy was five years old. How hard will it be for Kincaid to break those bonds? (SA, IR) Gavin Stone: British by birth although raised until mid-teens in France, Gavin is one-half of the witch twin set born to Jack and Angel Stone. He, his sister, and Etienne are best friends from earliest childhood, exiled in France from their rightful home and living always under the shadow of The Healer's prophecy. On the day Etienne's daughter is born, Gavin reveals the rather startling news that he is a seer. He then assumes this role for the Peyton-Solons. (TC, SA, IR) Ilona: Ambrus' mother. Widowed on the day of Ambrus' birth, Ilona lived and raised her son with Ariadne and Thalia until she remarried in Ambrus' early adulthood. A minor character. (TC) Jack Stone: An American witch who lived temporarily in France and assisted Thalia during her pregnancy with Etienne. He later married a young British girl Angel (who is also a witch) and fathered the twins Gavin and Lucie. Although a minor character, Jack's actions propel several key events. (TC) Kincaid Blair: American warrior for those who would defeat Sylvie Peyton Solon and bring an end to her magic on this world. Orphaned at the age of five and handpicked by the Church, Kincaid has been trained tirelessly for years and sent to England for the single purpose to rally a group of men to his back and face a legion of witches in battle… to bring their leader to death and bring his Lord purity and holiness such as He deserves. Or so Kincaid was led to believe. But they forgot to tell him she was lovely… and sweet… and wholesome… and well, now, things are just an unholy mess. (SA, IR) Lucie Stone: Gavin's twin sister. Also British by birth and raised in France until her mid-teens, she completes the trio comprised of Gavin, The Healer, and this rather ambiguous young girl. It isn't until Lucie reaches adulthood that the truth of her own destiny is revealed and we learn she is something quite beyond plain old Lucie, Etienne's best friend. (TC, SA, IR) Lucien Stone: Gavin and Cassandra Stone's son. A minor character. (SA, IR) Marcus Antonius: Post-Romano British member of the Coven of Light. A minor member of the Coven who held the post of scribe during his life. His powers were ordinary as a witch, but he was generally regarded as competent and valued and of high moral character. During his life, he recorded, among other Coven business, the visions of the seer, and these included the coming of The Healer and his full destiny. Marcus Antonius took it upon himself to try and safeguard The Healer's destiny. Marriage during his life to Marie of the Coven of Light and a subsequent betrayal proved nearly disastrous. (TC) Marie: Member of the Coven of Light and married to Marcus Antonius. Bore Marcus Antonius one daughter. It was rumored that The Healer would be born of the line of Marcus Antonius. Would her child be the beginning of that line? (TC) Medraut: Husband of Sylvie (the First), son of British prince who was Caedmon's dear friend (and wielder of the mysterious sword). (IR) Riamon: Wise woman in contemporary Wales with a touch of 'the sight.' Her late father was gifted with 'the sight' and knew much of the mysterious sword Caedmon took such pains to keep secret. Riamon is Sylvie Peyton Solon's first stop as Invocatus Rex gets underway and Sylvie is attempting to solve the mystery of her sword. (IR) Roger the Druid: The last of a dead line, Roger is dying himself and calls The Healer to him in his final hours. With no one else to whom he can pass his oral histories, he calls the one for whom those histories will have the most meaning. For Roger is the last of the druids who were meant to protect the sword Caedmon sent into hiding fifteen hundred years before. Sylvie's yearning for her history is about to be fulfilled, and the Peyton-Solons can go home at last. (IR) Sebastien: A acquaintance of Thalia's in France, Sebastien is the holder of much of Marcus Antonius' original writings. Through Sebastien, Thalia learns much of her unborn son's destiny, and the old sage becomes for a time the family seer. (TC) Sylvie Peyton Solon: Daughter of The Healer and The Unitiated, is the embodiment of pure magic. From Delia's words near the conclusion of Triplex Coniunctio through Invocatus Rex, we hear this phrase. But what is the embodiment of pure magic? Simply put... Sylvie is magic. It is she, and she is it. Never the two shall part. In some respects, Sylvie can be considered a vessel for magic and the hereditary witches who would use it. Through the centuries, the raw power evidenced by the Covens' original founders has become diluted. The witches who are drawn to Sylvie come to increase their natural powers through close proximity with the source of those powers. It is, ultimately, Sylvie's destiny to renew the diluted powers so that future generations of hereditary witches will enjoy the same level of power as Tarran and Dryw (and their sister Sylvie, the First) did. Side Note: Sylvie also bears a strange, ancient sword she calls Borre. (TC, SA, IR) Sylvie (the First): Daughter of Caedmon and Aisling, sister of twins Tarran and Dryw, wife of Medraut. Sylvie is endowed with very powerful, very raw magical abilities in a time when little is known of such abilities and what is known is generally feared. Sylvie eventually becomes the keeper of the mysterious sword that makes it way against all odds to Sylvie Peyton Solon. (IR) Tarran & Dryw: Twin sons of Caedmon and Aisling, brothers of Sylvie (the First). Endowed with a strange brand of magical powers. Eventually broke to lead the original Covens. Tarran was the great grandfather of Marcus Antonius (IR) Thalia Solon: Ariadne's daughter, Ambrus' lover, Etienne's mother, and Harvard graduate, Thalia is no slouch. A witch of surpassing power, Thalia generally considers herself no better than the average person, but she is ultimately the glue that binds an extraordinary family, the matriarch of the Peyton-Solons. (TC, SA, IR) The Covens: Ancient and venerable, the Coven of Light and the Dark Coven represent the oldest order of hereditary magic in the world. Established circa AD 550, these warring factions no longer exist in their original form. As Thalia sleuths for information on her unborn son, she uncovers clues to the continues functioning of the Dark Coven and suggestions that the Coven of Light is now defunct. Further information suggests she herself would have been the current leader of the Coven of Light had it still existed. Will it resurrect now that The Healer is due to be born? And what will that mean for the Dark Coven? (TC, SA) The Uninitiated: An unnamed witch from the writings of Marcus Antonius who would bear the child of The Healer and produce for the world of witchcraft a child to renew to waning powers of the world's witches. This child would, ultimately, fuse together two ancient and bitterly divided factions, bringing to an end a centuries' old way of life for many who practice the craft. She would also bring light and hope to thousands. Without The Uninitiated, she would not be born. (TC, SA, IR) Timothy Rogers: Member of the Church's army. Loyal only to the original vision of Father Jonah, a vision late in being shared with those who followed him. Lacking in scruples when it comes to furthering his and Jonah's ambitions, it will be Timothy who brings them all to their collective knees, but how will they stand again when he's finished? (SA, IR) Tris: An unassuming accountant from Fleet Street in London, Tris has an affection for Old World weaponry. Ferreted out by Gavin and Etienne, he is hired away from his firm and brought to Devon where he is set to the task of training a fifteen-year-old Sylvie Peyton Solon in the use of these weapons, presumably for sport. Later, he is told the true reason: she is being trained for war. Accepting and guileless, Tris assumes these duties with relish, folding himself into the lives of the Peyton-Solons and becoming an indispensable member of the team. (SA, IR) Xavier Male: A professional mediator, Xavier is hired by the Church to mediate a relationship between the Church and Sylvie Peyton Solon when Sylvie is three-years-old. The purpose of the contract is to prevent an all-out war, or so all parties are led to believe, including Xavier himself. Through this professional relationship, Xavier comes to know the Peyton-Solons very well, and he is not unsympathetic with their position, although he is not a witch himself. (TC, SA, IR)
Okay, Part Two. After the cut is (mostly) a series of brief character sketches illustrating who people are (as they keep popping up in my TTM posts, and I seem intent on confusing folks over there). I promise that's not my intent. {g} I have attempted to cover all three novels in this post, primary and rather-frequently-mentioned secondary characters. I may amend this list, but it won't be anytime soon.
Also, I will most likely add a post eventually to cover the fourth book, an ancillary novel featuring Declan O'Leary. While not specifically a sequel to the first three, it does have some overlap, but it is also developing its own canon as well and deserves a separate post. Again, not anytime soon, but it will have to happen as I suspect Declan to rear his gorgeous head this week.
If I have grossly under- or overstated things in these two posts, please feel free to let me know. My hope was to give just enough background to stem most of the confusion while not spoiling absolutely the entire three story arcs.
Stephanie
Dramatis Personae
Following is a list of primary and (rather important) secondary characters appearing in The Histories. This list is by no means exhaustive, and the information provided for each person is not meant to convey every fact of importance related to that person (i.e., I've tried to keep spoiler material to a minimum and have left out characters and groups entirely if necessary for that end). At the end of each character's entry is a parenthetical notation indicating in which book(s) the character appears (TC=Triplex Coniunctio, SA=Seraphim Applorant, IR=Invocatus Rex).
Before getting to the characters themselves, let me take a moment to fully define how magic is handled within The Histories:
The Nature of Magic
Magic, as presented in The Witch War Histories, is a part of nature. It exists without the volition of those who are born to it but also makes room for the new age concept of the Wiccan lifestyle. Therefore, although the primary characters are all witches with hereditary magic, there are also examples of the craft being practiced by persons not born into magic.
In terms of the primary magic in the story, the hereditary magic, people are born into magic. It simply is a part of them, but it is not a part of everyone. For the purposes of the story, "born into magic" means one is a descendant of one of the original members of the Coven of Light or the Dark Coven. Following that logic, all hereditary witches in The Witch War Histories are descended from either Tarran or Dryw, from the 6th century AD. This is not to imply there were no hereditary witches before those two, for certainly theirs must have come from somewhere (their mother Aisling most likely), but for the story, those earlier ancestors are not terribly relevant.
The practice of magic for these hereditary witches likely looks very modern. That is because the principles remain the same. The use of herbs, candles, etc. is evident in the characters' attempts to augment their spellwork and please their deities, but those are hardly required. By the time young Sylvie comes along, indeed, magic looks quite different.
Aisling (the First): Caedmon's wife and mother to Sylvie (the First) and twins Tarran and Dryw. Gifted with a slight version of 'the sight,' Aisling's confusing visions often leave her with vague and uneasy premonitions but no real insight as to what may or may not happen in the future. She is both awed by and fearful of her daughter's strange powers. (IR) Aisling (the Second): A young Irish woman who wanders incoherent into Riamon's yard during Sylvie Peyton Solon's explorations. A woman gifted with the powers of an empath but without knowledge of her power or how to control its effects, Aisling is suffering from bearing the pain of Sylvie's ancestors. Thus born accidentally into the lives of the Peyton-Solons, Aisling becomes integral to the shaping of their plans and the leading of their lives… especially the life of Declan O'Leary who takes one look at the lovely lass and falls hard. But is Aisling all she appears to be? Thalia doesn't think so. (IR) Ambrus Peyton: Thalia's lover and Etienne's father, Ambrus is not a witch. What he happens to be is Thalia's mainstay. Best friends from the cradle, they discover a deep and unabating passion in early adulthood that doesn't let up… not when Ambrus leaves England for America and university (prompting Thalia to follow him), not when Thalia leaves England for France and the hope of safety for their unborn son (prompting extreme action from Ambrus). If Thalia is the family's glue, Ambrus is rack and pinion. (TC, SA, IR) Ariadne Solon: Thalia's mother, a powerful witch and well-respected wise woman in their small community in the southeastern region of Devon, England. Widowed during her pregnancy with Thalia, it is Ariadne who helps guide both Thalia and Ambrus as they set about solving the mystery of the Triple Bond. (TC) Bertrand: Triplex Coniunctio's Big Bad. Leader of the Dark Coven, Bertrand is a witch determined The Healer will not be born, and he is prepared to stop at nothing to see his desires fulfilled. Cagey about his motives, his aim is nonetheless perfectly clear. If The Healer is born, magic will change forever, and that is unacceptable. From France to Britain to the very birthchamber of Sylvie herself, Bertrand's presence is a black cloud surrounding the Peyton-Solons, but can his petty malice stop destiny? (TC) Caedmon: Sixth-century druid and close advisor to a former prince in Britain. Caedmon is, among many other things, the keeper of a very special item of that prince's: his final battle sword. There is something magical, mystical about that sword, and he places it in keeping with others of his kind for safekeeping after the prince is killed in a terrible battle at the start of the darkest days of Britain. Upon returning to his own home in Wales, where he buries the prince quietly and keeps his effects, Caedmon marries Aisling, a new immigrant to his hometown, and settles into whatever passes for a 'normal' life. They have three children together, Sylvie (the First) and twins Tarran and Dryw. (IR) Cassandra Stone: American born witch who moves to Britain permanently in Sylvie's early childhood. After a dozen years or so of dating, she and Gavin marry. Several years later, they have a son Lucien. A minor character. (SA, IR) Darwin: Ostensibly Ambrus' secretary at the Policy Center where Ambrus works as an analyst, Darwin is there to support Ambrus in his daily occupation. However, there just might be more to Darwin than meets the eye. A minor character who propels the plot and provides occasional comic relief. (TC) Declan O'Leary: Member of the Church's army built to stand against Sylvie Peyton Solon and her witches in the war to end all magic. Chosen by Kincaid Blair as his right-hand man, Declan is loyal and uncompromising in that loyalty. As a young man with no allegiances save his loyalty to Kincaid, he couldn't have foreseen what his fidelity would cost him when he first offered it in trust. (SA, IR) Delia: Bertrand's sidekick, Delia is more devious and more ruthless than her leader, but as a witch, she lacks his broader vision. A thorn in Ambrus' side for years, Delia undermines his attempts to bring relative safety to his son's childhood and adolescence. Mocking Ambrus and Thalia in their efforts, it is Delia, rather than Bertrand, who ultimately brings the truth to light and offers true relief at last. (TC) Epidipnus: Member of the Dark Coven and lover of Marcus Antonius. Bore Marcus Antonius one daughter. Would her child be the line from which The Healer would be born? (TC) Etienne Solon: The Healer. Son of Thalia and Ambrus and father of Sylvie Peyton Solon, it is Etienne's birth that was foretold in the writings of Marcus Antonius centuries before. Through mystical means, Etienne travels far and wide, healing the souls of humanity's wounded each night while the rest of England sleeps. Despite this heavy burden, there are whispers of an even greater destiny in store for The Healer. (TC, SA, IR) Father Jonah: Seraphim Applorant and Invocatus Rex's Big Bad (although with different motivations in each). In Seraphim Applorant, it is Father Jonah's vision that moves a body of orphaned and Church-raised young men into a position to start a war against Sylvie Peyton Solon and her witches, a war the young men are led to believe will end Sylvie's magic on Earth forever. But will it? (SA, IR) Father Michael: Kincaid's mentor and trainer in England. Although not a substitute for Father Thomas, Father Michael assumes the roles held by Father Thomas in America when Kincaid moves abroad for the second stage in his life. Father Michael is vigilant and ruthless, utterly dedicated to the vision of Father Jonah. (SA, IR) Father Thomas: Kincaid's mentor and trainer in America. It is Father Thomas who first prepares Kincaid for his battle with evil in the form of Sylvie Peyton Solon, who first convinces Kincaid of the very rightness of the Church's position. Father Thomas has been for Kincaid the only true substitute for Kincaid's own dead father since the boy was five years old. How hard will it be for Kincaid to break those bonds? (SA, IR) Gavin Stone: British by birth although raised until mid-teens in France, Gavin is one-half of the witch twin set born to Jack and Angel Stone. He, his sister, and Etienne are best friends from earliest childhood, exiled in France from their rightful home and living always under the shadow of The Healer's prophecy. On the day Etienne's daughter is born, Gavin reveals the rather startling news that he is a seer. He then assumes this role for the Peyton-Solons. (TC, SA, IR) Ilona: Ambrus' mother. Widowed on the day of Ambrus' birth, Ilona lived and raised her son with Ariadne and Thalia until she remarried in Ambrus' early adulthood. A minor character. (TC) Jack Stone: An American witch who lived temporarily in France and assisted Thalia during her pregnancy with Etienne. He later married a young British girl Angel (who is also a witch) and fathered the twins Gavin and Lucie. Although a minor character, Jack's actions propel several key events. (TC) Kincaid Blair: American warrior for those who would defeat Sylvie Peyton Solon and bring an end to her magic on this world. Orphaned at the age of five and handpicked by the Church, Kincaid has been trained tirelessly for years and sent to England for the single purpose to rally a group of men to his back and face a legion of witches in battle… to bring their leader to death and bring his Lord purity and holiness such as He deserves. Or so Kincaid was led to believe. But they forgot to tell him she was lovely… and sweet… and wholesome… and well, now, things are just an unholy mess. (SA, IR) Lucie Stone: Gavin's twin sister. Also British by birth and raised in France until her mid-teens, she completes the trio comprised of Gavin, The Healer, and this rather ambiguous young girl. It isn't until Lucie reaches adulthood that the truth of her own destiny is revealed and we learn she is something quite beyond plain old Lucie, Etienne's best friend. (TC, SA, IR) Lucien Stone: Gavin and Cassandra Stone's son. A minor character. (SA, IR) Marcus Antonius: Post-Romano British member of the Coven of Light. A minor member of the Coven who held the post of scribe during his life. His powers were ordinary as a witch, but he was generally regarded as competent and valued and of high moral character. During his life, he recorded, among other Coven business, the visions of the seer, and these included the coming of The Healer and his full destiny. Marcus Antonius took it upon himself to try and safeguard The Healer's destiny. Marriage during his life to Marie of the Coven of Light and a subsequent betrayal proved nearly disastrous. (TC) Marie: Member of the Coven of Light and married to Marcus Antonius. Bore Marcus Antonius one daughter. It was rumored that The Healer would be born of the line of Marcus Antonius. Would her child be the beginning of that line? (TC) Medraut: Husband of Sylvie (the First), son of British prince who was Caedmon's dear friend (and wielder of the mysterious sword). (IR) Riamon: Wise woman in contemporary Wales with a touch of 'the sight.' Her late father was gifted with 'the sight' and knew much of the mysterious sword Caedmon took such pains to keep secret. Riamon is Sylvie Peyton Solon's first stop as Invocatus Rex gets underway and Sylvie is attempting to solve the mystery of her sword. (IR) Roger the Druid: The last of a dead line, Roger is dying himself and calls The Healer to him in his final hours. With no one else to whom he can pass his oral histories, he calls the one for whom those histories will have the most meaning. For Roger is the last of the druids who were meant to protect the sword Caedmon sent into hiding fifteen hundred years before. Sylvie's yearning for her history is about to be fulfilled, and the Peyton-Solons can go home at last. (IR) Sebastien: A acquaintance of Thalia's in France, Sebastien is the holder of much of Marcus Antonius' original writings. Through Sebastien, Thalia learns much of her unborn son's destiny, and the old sage becomes for a time the family seer. (TC) Sylvie Peyton Solon: Daughter of The Healer and The Unitiated, is the embodiment of pure magic. From Delia's words near the conclusion of Triplex Coniunctio through Invocatus Rex, we hear this phrase. But what is the embodiment of pure magic? Simply put... Sylvie is magic. It is she, and she is it. Never the two shall part. In some respects, Sylvie can be considered a vessel for magic and the hereditary witches who would use it. Through the centuries, the raw power evidenced by the Covens' original founders has become diluted. The witches who are drawn to Sylvie come to increase their natural powers through close proximity with the source of those powers. It is, ultimately, Sylvie's destiny to renew the diluted powers so that future generations of hereditary witches will enjoy the same level of power as Tarran and Dryw (and their sister Sylvie, the First) did. Side Note: Sylvie also bears a strange, ancient sword she calls Borre. (TC, SA, IR) Sylvie (the First): Daughter of Caedmon and Aisling, sister of twins Tarran and Dryw, wife of Medraut. Sylvie is endowed with very powerful, very raw magical abilities in a time when little is known of such abilities and what is known is generally feared. Sylvie eventually becomes the keeper of the mysterious sword that makes it way against all odds to Sylvie Peyton Solon. (IR) Tarran & Dryw: Twin sons of Caedmon and Aisling, brothers of Sylvie (the First). Endowed with a strange brand of magical powers. Eventually broke to lead the original Covens. Tarran was the great grandfather of Marcus Antonius (IR) Thalia Solon: Ariadne's daughter, Ambrus' lover, Etienne's mother, and Harvard graduate, Thalia is no slouch. A witch of surpassing power, Thalia generally considers herself no better than the average person, but she is ultimately the glue that binds an extraordinary family, the matriarch of the Peyton-Solons. (TC, SA, IR) The Covens: Ancient and venerable, the Coven of Light and the Dark Coven represent the oldest order of hereditary magic in the world. Established circa AD 550, these warring factions no longer exist in their original form. As Thalia sleuths for information on her unborn son, she uncovers clues to the continues functioning of the Dark Coven and suggestions that the Coven of Light is now defunct. Further information suggests she herself would have been the current leader of the Coven of Light had it still existed. Will it resurrect now that The Healer is due to be born? And what will that mean for the Dark Coven? (TC, SA) The Uninitiated: An unnamed witch from the writings of Marcus Antonius who would bear the child of The Healer and produce for the world of witchcraft a child to renew to waning powers of the world's witches. This child would, ultimately, fuse together two ancient and bitterly divided factions, bringing to an end a centuries' old way of life for many who practice the craft. She would also bring light and hope to thousands. Without The Uninitiated, she would not be born. (TC, SA, IR) Timothy Rogers: Member of the Church's army. Loyal only to the original vision of Father Jonah, a vision late in being shared with those who followed him. Lacking in scruples when it comes to furthering his and Jonah's ambitions, it will be Timothy who brings them all to their collective knees, but how will they stand again when he's finished? (SA, IR) Tris: An unassuming accountant from Fleet Street in London, Tris has an affection for Old World weaponry. Ferreted out by Gavin and Etienne, he is hired away from his firm and brought to Devon where he is set to the task of training a fifteen-year-old Sylvie Peyton Solon in the use of these weapons, presumably for sport. Later, he is told the true reason: she is being trained for war. Accepting and guileless, Tris assumes these duties with relish, folding himself into the lives of the Peyton-Solons and becoming an indispensable member of the team. (SA, IR) Xavier Male: A professional mediator, Xavier is hired by the Church to mediate a relationship between the Church and Sylvie Peyton Solon when Sylvie is three-years-old. The purpose of the contract is to prevent an all-out war, or so all parties are led to believe, including Xavier himself. Through this professional relationship, Xavier comes to know the Peyton-Solons very well, and he is not unsympathetic with their position, although he is not a witch himself. (TC, SA, IR)